when analog TV signals end

[Scott Fybush]

Kevin Vahey wrote:
> I was just thinking today that when WBZ-TV rebranded themselves simply
> WBZ was this a hint of what will happen in a couple of years when
> analog channel numbers become just a memory.
> 
> WCVB is calling themselves The Boston Channel more and more for example.
> 
> It will be curious how it plays out.
> 

This has been one of the most common misconceptions of the DTV 
conversion, even (sometimes) within stations themselves.

Because DTV tuners remap the channels they receive, concealing the 
underlying RF channel number in the process, the average viewer will 
never know (and never needs to know) that "channel 5" is actually RF 
channel 20, or that "channel 4" is actually RF channel 30. In fact, the 
FCC's guidelines specifically mandate that stations must continue to use 
their present analog channel number as their virtual channel number even 
after the analog sunset.

If anything, the analog broadcast channel number is a little MORE 
important now than it may have been a few years ago, since it's not only 
the mapped channel number that the DTV signal uses, but also the channel 
number that Dish and DirecTV use. (This may help to explain why WLVI 
seems to be slowly returning to "CW56" branding after several years as 
"CW Boston" and "Boston's WB" before that.)

On the whole, I think this is a good thing for consumers, since it makes 
the DTV conversion much more straightforward (no worrying about "why is 
WHDH on channel 42?," or wondering "why did it go back to 7?" in 2009). 
The only issue it raises, and it's a minor one, is with antennas. Right 
now, I know I need a low-band VHF antenna to watch channel 4, a 
high-band VHF antenna to watch 7, and a UHF antenna to watch 38. After 
2009, a consumer (or, more likely, an antenna installer) will still need 
to know the underlying RF channel numbers to determine whether a 
UHF-only antenna will work, or whether a VHF antenna will be needed as 
well. In Boston, I believe 7 will be the only VHF DT remaining after the 
conversion, but Providence will have 3 of its 7 signals on VHF when it's 
all done (WJAR back on 10, WPRI on 13, and WNAC moving to 12 after WPRI 
vacates it. Yes, that means TVs tuned to "12" will really be on 13, and 
"64" will really be on 12, but that's why the remapping is there, so 
only we geeks need to worry about it.)

s